Recycling firms honoured in Queens Awards

The Awards were first established in 1966 to honour businesses across a range of UK industries and, this year, commended 194 companies in total, of which seven are reprocessors, reuse organisations and recycling firms.

These include waste and recycling company Greenstar UK's Redcar-based plastics recycling arm Greenstar WES, Shotton-based paper recycling company UPM-Kymmene Limited, end-of-life vehicle recyclers S Norton & Co based in Liverpool, and Essex-based computer reuse and recycling business RD Trading.

Metal recycling firms Avon Metals, based in Gloucester, John R. Adams & Sons in Glasgow and F.J. Church & Sons in Essex were also recognised.

Business minister Lord Mandelson said: “I heartily congratulate all today's winners of The Queen's Awards. These inspirational firms have proved they are amongst Britain's very best businesses. They are flying the flag for British enterprise, innovation and corporate responsibility, both here and abroad.

“They have achieved the UK's most prestigious standard of business excellence, and set the standard for other businesses to follow as they help lead Britain out of recession,” he added.

Overall, 135 companies won Awards for International Trade, 49 for Innovation and 10 for Sustainable Development. In addition, 11 individuals have received the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion (QAEP) for their inspiring efforts to encourage UK entrepreneurship.

Greenstar

Redcar-based Greenstar Waste Exchange Services (WES) was recognised in the innovation category for its work in plastics recycling technologies.

Through investment in new technology, the company has enlarged the range of plastics it is capable of recycling and increased its plant capacity to 25,000 tonnes of plastic bottles annually. In addition, Greenstar WES has also developed the ability to process crisp packets and 12,000 tonnes of, what the company terms, “awkward plastics” – such as car scrap, specialist pipes and film.

Greenstar WES has also tackled the burgeoning area of food grade plastic packaging and signed a supply deal with container manufacturer Nampak Recycling to supply flake to create bottles for supermarket giant Marks and Spencer's organic milk range (see letsrecycle.com story).

Commenting on the honour, Greenstar WES founder and managing director James Donaldson said: “The Queen's Award is a tribute to typical British ingenuity and application, and I and all my staff feel very privileged to have our hard work rewarded in this manner.”

“We've sacrificed a lot to bring our dreams to fruition, and I'd like to thank all my staff for their dedication. Thanks too should go to our suppliers, partners and customers who share our vision for turning waste plastic into a valuable reusable resource,” he added.

UPM

Paper recycling firm UPM-Kymmene was also grateful of the recognition received for its Award, with its 640,000 tonnes-a-year Shotton mill being honoured in the sustainability category.

The North Wales-based paper mill, which produces newsprint from recycled old newspapers and magazines and generates its own electricity and steam from paper making residues, was praised for having achieved high standards of sustainability throughout its business operations.

Mr David Ingham, general manager for UPM Shotton, said: “The Queen's Award is the UK's most prestigious award for business performance. Everyone at UPM Shotton is thrilled that we have been recognised as a front-runner in sustainability and an example of how a business can create true value when we take care of our people, our environment and our community.”

Sustainable

Also in the sustainability category, Essex-based computer reuse company RD Trading (RDC) was issued with a Queen's Award honour for its work in the field of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) and IT refurbishment centres.

The firm, which was also honoured in 2002 for its work on developing the IT asset management business model, has worked with social training organisation Mill Race IT, which trains people with special needs for work. RDC has issued the social company with procedures, tools and advice plus a recycling option for its WEEE.

And, RDC has also worked with Microsoft to set up IT refurbishment centres in developing countries such as Namibia, Uganda and South Africa.

Gerry Hackett, managing director at RDC, said: “The Queens Award for sustainable development is testament to the progress all of the people at RDC have made in developing a successful business which consistently operates in a successful but principled and ethically responsible way.”

Awards

Winners of the Queen's Awards can now expect a company visit by a Royal representative during the year to present a crystal bowl and a special reception at Buckingham Palace in July. They are also entitled to use the Queen's Award Emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging for a period of five years as a symbol of their quality and success.

The UK's special representative for international trade and investment, His Royal Highness The Duke of York, said: “I'm delighted to see so many companies applying for, and winning, The Queen's Award for Enterprise this year. Over the years, I've visited many Queen's Award winning firms, and have seen firsthand just what a boost this Award brings to their business and their employees.”

The 194 recipients of the 2009 Award broke the previous highest tally of 175 achieved by businesses and organisations in 1990.